Waxes having oil-in-water self-emulsifying and water gel-forming properties, compositions, uses and methods relating to same

Abstract

The present invention relates to waxes useful for cosmetic applications having stable oil-in-water emulsion-forming properties and, in some embodiments, stable gel-in-water-forming properties. In some embodiments, the waxes exhibit self-emulsifying properties, and can be produced without the addition of any other substances to achieve the emulsion (e.g., co-emulsifiers, hydrophilic polymers, polar surfactants, rheological modifiers, gelling agents). The waxes generally comprise: (a) polyglyceryl fatty acid ester, (b) a glycerol fatty acid ester, and 9c) a fatty alcohol. In particular embodiments, the polyglyceryl fatty acid ester can be a polyglyceryl-2, -3, or -4 fatty acid ester, and the fatty chain lengths of (a)-(c) can range from C12 to C22. In more particular embodiments, the waxes can comprise polyglyceryl stearate, glyceryl stearate, and stearyl alcohol. Gels, oil-in-water emulsions, and other compositions produced from the waxes, as well as uses and methods relating thereto, are also disclosed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wax having oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion-forming properties, said wax comprising:
 (a) about 20 to about 50 parts of a polyglyceryl fatty acid ester, having a fatty acid carbon chain length of n 1 ; 
 (b) about 25 to about 40 parts of a glycerol fatty acid ester, having a fatty acid carbon chain length of n 2 ; and 
 (c) about 25 to about 35 parts of a fatty alcohol, having a fatty carbon chain length of n 3 ; 
 
       wherein each of n 1 , n 2 , and n 3  represents any integer in the range of 12 to 22, and wherein said wax forms an O/W emulsion in the absence of a co-emulsifier, a polar or an ionic surfactant, an ethoxylated product, a propoxylated product, a rheological modifier, a gelling agent, or any combination thereof wherein said wax can form (i) a stable O/W emulsion for at least 1 week at about 50° C.; and (ii) a gel-in-water that is stable for at least 1 week at about 50° C. 
     
     
       2. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein (a) is a polyglyceryl-2 fatty acid ester, a polyglyceryl-3 fatty acid ester, or a polyglyceryl-4 fatty acid ester. 
     
     
       3. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein:
 (i) the fatty acid of (a) is saturated; 
 (ii) the fatty acid of (b) is saturated; 
 (iii) the fatty alcohol of (c) is saturated; or 
 (iv) any combination of (i) to (iii). 
 
     
     
       4. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein each of n 1 , n 2 , and n 3  represent any integer (i) in the range of 14 to 20; or (ii) in the range of 16 to 18. 
     
     
       5. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein the difference between the integers represented by n 1  and n 2 , n 1  and n 3 , and n 2  and n 3  is (i) less than or equal to 4; (ii) less than or equal to 3; (iii) less than or equal to 2; or (iv) less than or equal to 1. 
     
     
       6. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein n 1 =n 2 =n 3 . 
     
     
       7. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein (i) n 1 =18; (ii) n 2 =18; and/or (iii) n 3 =18. 
     
     
       8. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein said wax comprises (a) about 35 to about 45 parts of said polyglyceryl fatty acid ester. 
     
     
       9. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein (a) is polyglyceryl stearate; (b) is glyceryl stearate; and/or (c) is stearyl alcohol. 
     
     
       10. The wax of  claim 9 , wherein said polyglyceryl stearate is: polyglyceryl-2 stearate; polyglyceryl-3 stearate; polyglyceryl-4 stearate; or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       11. The wax of  claim 10 , wherein said polyglyceryl stearate is integrated according to the following stoichiometry: (i) about 1.0 to about 2.0 equivalents of stearic acid esterified with 1.0 equivalent of polyglyceryl-2, polyglyceryl-3, polyglyceryl-4, or any combination thereof; or (ii) about 1.1 to about 1.2 equivalents of stearic acid esterified with 1.0 equivalent of polyglyceryl-2, polyglyceryl-3, polyglyceryl-4, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       12. The wax of  claim 9 , wherein said glyceryl stearate is integrated according to the following stoichiometry: (i) about 0.8 to 1.2 equivalents of at least 95% pure stearic acid, esterified with 1.0 equivalent of at least 95% pure glycerol; or (ii) about 1.0 equivalent of at least 95% pure stearic acid, esterified with 1.0 equivalent of sufficiently pure glycerol. 
     
     
       13. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein said wax has self-emulsifying properties. 
     
     
       14. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein said wax does not comprise a co-emulsifier, a polar or an ionic surfactant, an ethoxylated product, a propoxylated product, a rheological modifier, a gelling agent, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       15. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein said wax is present in a cosmetic composition. 
     
     
       16. The wax of  claim 1 , wherein said wax is present in a topical composition.